Piece of WTC Steel to be Part of Township Memorial

Residents who want to honor those who were killed in the Sept. 11 attacks will soon be able to do so much closer to home. The is now in possession of a piece of steel from the World Trade Center, and will be designing a space for a memorial.

The beam weighs about 4600 pounds and measures 109 inches long, 60 inches wide and 40 inches thick. It was part of a cross beam in the parking garage of the North Tower.

“The mayor thought it would be nice to memorialize the people who died on Sept. 11,” said Pam Garv, administrative assistant to Mayor Russell Felter.

Felter and Garv worked with Pam Thievon, an aide to Congressman Rodney Frelinghuysen, to get an artifact from the World Trade Center.

Port Authority officials recommended a flat bed truck to transport the piece, so Gerry Franek of Sars Auto Wreckers offered his truck as a service to the town. He and Jefferson Township Police Officer Ivan Rodriguez picked up the steel in late February. The township had to secure insurance on the piece to get it back into town. Now that it is on township property, it is covered under the township’s general liability policy, according to business administrator Jim Leach.

The steel is currently housed in the police impound lot while local landscaper works on a design for the memorial to be located near the veterans’ memorial at town hall. Eagle Scout candidate Jonathan Dobbs has also offered his services to work on preparing the site, according to Felter.

Felter said he hopes the township will have the memorial ready by the spring. A dedication service will happen at that time.